The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1887-05-27
TOLEDO BLADES.
Their Ancient History and Mode
OF Manufacture.

''You are going 10 do Spain Wotild
ron mind buying ME a real Toledo
bladeg"
This from yo,ug bachelor friend.
whose apartments in New York are SO
full of bric-a-brdc that dread visiting
him lest an ungutrsled movement in an
unguarled moment should cost me a
fabulous sun To replace broken
trinket
undertook the commission. wonder
ing. as did so. where the ..tFusty steel
would find reSting-place. The ceiling
seemed to be the only available spot
but "A sword of Damocles over ones
headl Ughl
Sunny Spa:ni Land of Don Quixnte
and Dulcina del Toboso: Of Mantillas
and Murillo; If iurk-eyed senoritas and
naughty hidalgos; pf old churches aud
Moorish mosques: Of bull fights and
i,oleros: of fans and cigarettes; of bo-
nitas and briganls: of garlic and 9ra-
cids. of mountain anil BldMala Spain.
the sun-kissed, There are but two
classes of travellers to be met with in
Spain-those who go for climate and
those who 60 for pleasure; the magnifi-
cent climate ofthr south and east coasts
tempting the one. the blsarre scenes of
faded spleudor and Old World indolenee
tempting the ether Every body grum-
bles ut Spanish diseomfurt; Int everv
body leaves Spain with regret aud bear
ing souvenirs never to be forgotten.
impressions never Ia be erased. glories
never to he OWNED
The most quaint. the most tumble
down. the most naughty. the most in
i..I-esting. the most charming. the most
sc-sinctive. the most Old-World city in
sunny spain Is Tnle,la There are few
cities which can boast 80 ancient an
orr in. ar the history IL which have
been made the groundwork of So many
absurd traditions. Some writers pre-
tend that. the jews settled here aftet
the captivity II Babylon: others a.trib-
ute its foundation 10 Hercules. To Ju-
bal. grandson Of Cain. who established
himself on It's site one hundred aud
fu,ty-three years after the Deluge.
Trat which Is most accurately known
concerning the antiquity of Toledo fs.
that it existed two hundred years be-
fore Christ. the Pro-constl. Marcus
Havius. having besieged il in the year
| 1870 b. e. taken il. and placed il under
Roman jurisdiction.
Since then the city has had varied
! history. Captured hy the barbarians
Of the North. a residence of the Kings
| of the Visigoths. the Royal City" of
I Spain. then taken bv the Moors. IL
! reached the summit of greatness in the
.gxfeenth century. when it was as pol
isbs.i and educated city as Seville or
SaIam2nca.
Since fhc thirteenth century. Toledo
boasts the reputation of Speaking the
purest EaStilian-a reputation which
she still maintains. But. although To-
| ledo has fallen into the sere and yellow
leaf, she is still sufficiently rich in mem
ories. and in lnonHR9ents of the past. 10
| console her for having lost her position
l In the front rank. There is not city
4 in the world that responds so accur-
/ tatel, TO a city of the Middle Ages.
l She i. He picturesque and romantic
\ citx pr excellence; and she is proud.
4 amongst her other titles to nobility, of
i being, 'fike the Eternal City. built upon
seven hills
4 But we have to buy Toledo blade,
and must proceed to the grimy factory
by the side of the yellow, brawlins
| TSgus The swords aud poinartls oi
| Spa in have been renowned in antiquity
/ Mum erous historians might be quoted
who have testified their faith in them
/ even as long ago as the time of Cicero
{ who makes honorable mention of the
little Spanish sword.
| 1t is probabIe that the manufactur.
of swords continued at Toledo till tn,
epoch ad the Goth kings. and it j.
certain tblt it was in full yigor in the
ninth century. These swords ierved
without doubt, as patterI br th'
weapons used by the Mnors o. spain il
\ the Middle Ages. which are seen repre-
s.,uted in the pictures at the Alhambra
The manufacture of swords was no
formerly confided to single establish
Sment aS To-day The espdderos, o
yvor,l-makers, worked at their owl
homes. alone, or with certain numbe
of apprentices. Like all commercial
v crafts, they were bound together in
greniio, or guild.
!, Many of the kings of CASTLE ac
corded "a the finest sword-makers @
I Toledo certafN privileges such as eS
emption from diverse imposts and dutie
!, appertaining to the sale of swords. tn
4 purchase of iron and steel, and othe
,primary material. These privileges eS
i eended to certain craftsmen attached
| M,e manufacture of blades. such as tn
A.Gr0iadores, or Publishers. and cGf1ero:
n.or filters. The iron and blades of Spai
I were renowned in France in the Mid
u die 4 ges. ..